With technology constantly evolving, it comes as no surprise that search engines have become the more preferred source of business recommendations.
In the 2019 ‘Salmat Marketing Report’, 49% of consumers claimed they would rather search online for what they are looking for over asking family and friends. Word of mouth, (previously the most preferred resource) has seen a 26% decrease since last year. However, it is still a very valuable resource for marketing businesses, coming in second for the most preferred option at 46%.
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Getting Customers: SEO or Social Media?
This change in consumer behaviour brings about new challenges for marketers. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a great technique to increase a website’s visibility to online searchers. However, it was reported that only 28% of marketers have been utilising this technique, despite search engines being the most preferred channel for consumers.
Instead, the Salmat Marketing Report found that marketers are putting their money into social media advertising. 54% of the total marketers surveyed said they invested their money into advertising via social media last year. But there was only 25% of consumers who used social media for purchase decisions. This mismatch between marketer investment and consumer behaviour is proving to be difficult in reaching new customers.
The Changing Consumer Behaviour
Consumer behaviour will continue to change as technology evolves. What this means for marketers is that they must be willing and able to adapt to this changing behaviour. This increase in online search by consumers will only continue to increase as technology becomes more and more intertwined with everyday lives. So, understanding the new shifts and changes in consumer behaviour will be crucial for getting new customers into the business. Having the right resources and people can make a difference in how well your business is able to market to your target customers and understand what they are actually doing.
